The gaming industry is a real phenomenon. Over the course of half a century, it has managed to make a truly titanic leap in its development, moving from simple crafts in the spirit of Pong to multimillion-dollar blockbusters that attract people all over the world. Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Dark Souls, Fortnite, World of Warcraft… this list can be continued for a very, very long time, but the result will be the same – the gaming industry has not only gained wild popularity, but has also become a real business. It would seem that here the story should come to its logical conclusion, but not everything is so simple.
(There was a player, but over the years it fell into disrepair)
You see, business is careful. Every year the cost of developing video games only increases, and with it the influence of people in expensive suits, who are extremely unwilling to deviate from already proven success formulas, is growing. The gaming industry is caught in the grip of its own triumph, with the vast majority of developers no longer daring to experiment. However, not everything is so bad, because there are still brave souls who are ready to go beyond the ordinary, established and so familiar to us all. Sometimes it is enough to deviate from just one of these facets for the work not only to stand out from its competitors, but also to be able to sink into the souls of players for many years. These are the games I want to tell you about.
Perhaps we should start with a Bet-Casino-Online.co.uk real classic – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords. Initially, no one suspected that this series could reveal itself in any unexpected way, because the first part, released from the digital pen of BioWare, although it was a wonderful role-playing game, acted in accordance with the main canons of Star Wars. It’s no secret that in the Star Wars setting, almost any conflict is reduced to the already tired confrontation between good and evil. Republic and Empire. Light and dark sides of the Force. Jedi and Sith. In all these conflicts there are always clearly defined heroes and villains who have a stranglehold on their roles. And it is precisely this line of black-and-white morality that the developers from Obsidian Entertainment decided to cross. More precisely, this is the merit of one of the most talented screenwriters in the entire history of the gaming industry – Chris Avellone, who not only diluted the black and white palette with shades of gray, but also made us question the ideals of each of the presented sides.
Usually, gray morality arises from a combination of two elements: the whitewashing of villains and the denigration of heroes – but this is clearly not our case. The Sith Lords still has the obvious villains that are so common in the Star Wars universe… but there are no real heroes here. Every Jedi Master in the game is blinded by pride. They sincerely believe that fanatical adherence to the Jedi code automatically makes them right. Always and in everything. Excessive narrow-mindedness, ossified thinking and a banal reluctance to admit their own wrongness – all this led to their fall, albeit not to the dark side, but that’s why it’s even worse. It would seem that this is a great chance for the Sith to put an end to this eternal confrontation, because their enemies have become just a pathetic shadow of what they should be. But, of course, they also could not avoid criticism.
The path of the Sith is an eternal pursuit of power and might, during which the adept of the dark side willingly surrenders to his every impulse, no matter how destructive and destructive it may be. But every path has its own end, a final destination, let alone intermediate stops. And in The Sith Lords we are clearly shown what the most successful Sith can come to: excruciating pain, an unquenchable thirst for power, bitter regrets. It’s too late for them, they can’t escape what they’ve become. Final victory over the Jedi would only take away one of the last reasons why the remaining Sith Lords could still justify continuing on such a hopeless path. The most ironic thing is that although we are shown the obvious shortcomings of both sides, the final conclusions remain with the player. And it’s not so important what exactly you choose: the light or dark side of the Force, or maybe you’ll even give preference to the gray Jedi who are stuck in the middle. Or might you wonder if the Force does more harm than good?. The main thing is that you will look at the familiar Star Wars universe from a new angle, from a different perspective.
A different perspective is also characteristic of another project that will be discussed in this article – Antichamber. This puzzle, full of philosophy, definitely went beyond any normality and routine, but it was done for a reason. The goal of the developer (this game was created by just one person – Alexander Bruce) is noble, because he is trying to help players understand one very complex and confusing issue – the attitude towards life itself and its almost incomprehensible meaning. He does this with the help of equally intricate puzzles, the solution of which often requires innovative thinking, the ability to look at a situation from an unexpected angle and a willingness to accept even the most irrational answers. One of the first of these riddles will be a deep chasm in the middle of the corridor, over which hangs a clue that reads as follows: "Jump!!». A significant part of the players, accustomed to the fact that training cannot deceive them, will immediately go downhill. And it doesn’t really matter whether they actually believed this hint or simply overestimated the range of their character’s jump, because this is just a kind of greeting from the game. She is not trying to humiliate the player at all. Yes, to get to the other side, you just need to walk through the air, but is that really important?? Falling down, you will not encounter the inscription "Game over", because both paths are correct in their own way. This puzzle is designed to convey to the player the general principle of Antichamber – to complete this game, you will have to go beyond what is considered the norm.
Each puzzle refers to one or another stage in a person’s life, starting from birth… and ending with death. While exploring the game, you will often come across dead ends or what only at first glance seems like them. When exploring new rooms, you can get completely lost, because when you return back, you won’t always return to the same place from where you came from the very beginning. Some elements of the environment are designed only to confuse you, and their true purpose may surprise even the most experienced players. For example, a timer in the starting area, inexorably counting down. Perhaps every player will try to guess what this timer is for. What happens when the countdown ends? Maybe all progress will be reset, and you will have to start all over again? Or some secret area will open, containing even more secrets? However, none of these versions beat the correct answer – nothing. The game will only advise the player to live at his own pace! Just think about it! We live at such a frantic pace that a regular timer is enough to make us nervous! I could continue to sing the praises of this game further, but I don’t want to spoil your possible playthrough with critical spoilers. Let me just note that its bright colors can be a real test for your eyes.
One notorious visual novel can test your spirit – Doki Doki Literature Club! Surprisingly, it was her resounding success that confused people. Yes, this novella is a statement, but it has a specific addressee – lovers of dating simulators who would have stumbled upon this game completely by accident, unaware of its true essence. The main goal of the game is to go beyond the player’s comfort zone. And I’m not just talking about scary and repulsive moments. We are talking about the deconstruction of the genre itself with all its falsehood and pretense. The recipe for such games is incredibly simple: the main character finds himself surrounded by cute girls, each of whom falls in love with him. In turn, for the fair sex there are otome, where cute young men fall in love with the main character. For the gaming industry, this has long become a business, thanks to which people can sublimate the lack of romantic relationships in real life. The only problem is execution. The vast majority of romantic interests in these types of games are just dolls who love the player for no particular reason. The main difference between Doki Doki and its colleagues is that local heroines have a self-awareness that simply cannot cope with this irrational attachment to the player.
All subsequent tragic events are a direct consequence of this internal contradiction. And no matter how sad they are, the essence of the drama unfolding before us is comprehended at the moment of understanding the author’s intention. Perhaps it is the presence of such a message that is the connecting link between all the games listed in this article. Although they are so different, they tried to convey something more to us through them. And each time it was not a simple answer to a complex question, but only food for thought. Some clues that can prompt the player to give his own answer. Decide on something important, even if it’s not necessary for him. And that’s all for this. Thank you for your attention!